In the prologue to the collection, Cloonan writes: "Dedicated to those of you with crushes on your characters." When I first read this line, I thought Cloonan was being a little narcissistic. But after finishing the book, I understood. How could anyone not fall in love with her characters? They possess all the virtues and vices anyone could ever want in a person. Get this collection. You won't regret it.

If you're a fan of great artwork and great writing, make sure you pick up a copy of Dark Ark.

If you're a fan of the original, you'll love this; if you've never seen the anime and want to know what all the fuss is about, this is a great place to start; if you're a kid, this series will blow your mind; if you're a grown-up, ditto. I can't wait for issue #2 and kudos to Titan comics for rebooting this classic:

Don't let the title turn you off. I know 'X-O Manowar' isn't as appealing as 'X-Men' or 'The Flash', but it's every bit as exciting. I rarely see a series that has such a strong handle on pacing, action, and character development. Even the exposition is done in a fun and interesting way that makes me want to find out more. Three words: Read this series.

Despite these technicalities, I still find Extremity #4 to be very enjoyable. Johnson is both and excellent artist and writer, and I can't wait to see more from him. While I'd like some more plot twists, the story is only four issues in, so it's not really a problem right now. In that end, Extremity is an awesome series and certainly should be added to the reading list of anyone who's a fan of gritty, post-apocalyptic adventures.

Besides these few character issues, Extremity is an excellent series and worth every moment of time you spend on it. I hope in the next few issues Johnson shows us more of this fascinating world or maybe even reveals some of its history. If you haven't already started reading Extremity, get on it. It's definitely a great summer read.

The storyline is absorbing, the fight scenes are energetic, and the art is in tune with the themes. Anyone interested in picking up a man-versus-giant-monsters story"minus the hormonal teens"should absolutely give this series a go.

All in all, Mass Effect: Discovery is an entertaining first installment. I really sympathize with the hero, and I'm earnestly interested in the next three issues. While the story suffers a bit from its exposition and lack of action, its use of mystery and character development by far make up for these shortcomings. If you're a fan of detective stories and space odysseys, I recommend giving this mini-series a go.

If you're into paranormal thrillers, and if you aren't grossed-out from naked guys flopping-about, I can't see any reason why you shouldn't pick up a copy of Morning Star.

With that in mind, Rat Queens Special Orc Dave #1 is still an excellent read, and certainly, should be picked up by any fan of high-concept fantasy. As I said, it's sweet, and there's pretty much nothing wrong with it. If you're a Rat Queens' fan or just starting the series like me, this one-shot is certainly worth the price tag.

All in all, Realm is an excellent beginning to a tale about the end of the world. The writing's clear, the artwork's remarkable, and the storyline's captivating. The only misgivings I have are the action scenes.

This series still has a lot to offer, and I can't wait until we get deeper into the second act. If you haven't already started this series, get on it.

Reborn is still a very good series. In fact, if it weren't by Mark Miller and Greg Capullo, I'd probably praise it some more. But since the bar has been set so high for these guys, it's just natural to subject them to a higher grade of scrutiny. With that in mind, Reborn is an awesome series and issue # 6 concludes Bonnie's journey in a very satisfactory manner. If you're feeling down and need something to lift your spirit, pick up this series. It might just be the charm you need to give your day its own rebirth.

Unholy Grail is an excellent retelling of a story that I, frankly, thought was dead. I honestly care about Arthur and Merlin, and I'm eager to see what twists Bunn has in store for us. Read this series: it might just be the best reimagining of the King Arthur legend yet.

In essence, Dawn of War III is a fun read with a lot of action and cool artwork to boot. While the characters are a little hard to differentiate and the actions scenes are a little disjointed, the overall story is intriguing enough for us to want more. This is also just the first issue of the franchise, so I'm sure we'll become better acquainted with the characters and the plot as the series progresses. Overall, I like the franchise so far, and I want to see more.

These problems aside, X-O Manowar is still an excellent series and definitely worth your time. If you haven't already started reading this franchise, start now. There's not much more I can say. X-O Manowar is in a class of its own.

If gothic-adventure is your thing, pick up a copy. As for myself and other comic aficionados, you might want to wait for issue #2 before making any decisions.

Overall, Bloodshot Salvation isn't terrible, it's just not action-packed enough for me to rave about its excellence. I'll need to see a few more issues before I can make a better judgment. Until then, be warned.

What an emotional roller-coater!

Is "Amnia Cycle" so good that it warrants the $5.99 price tag? Well given that two of the three stories in Paklis are filler, I'd say get this only if you're really into space adventures. "Amnia Cycle" is good, but it's no X-O Manowar or Saga. I think if Weaver had made the characters a little more believable and the action scenes a little less predictable, I'd say go ahead and give it a try. But since the best story is no different than your average run-of-the-mill comic, and since the other two aren't even worth reading, I'd say wait until the second installment arrives. Maybe Weaver will do something to convince me there's more here than just mediocrity. Until then, I'd pass.

Imaginary Fiends #1 effortlessly chills and creeps while taking a dark and sinister look at imaginary friends and explaining who they are, what they do, and why they're here. This stunning debut is impressive in several ways and ultimately, should be devoured by comic book readers.

The only thing decent about this book was the cover. In fact, the cover's so awesome Valiant should give the artists responsible for it a raise. Because of these brave souls, this series will actually sell a few copies.

Pathfinder isn't a bad story; it's just painfully mediocre. If you're picking up a copy for your kids, it's totally fine, I'm sure they'll love it. For the comic aficionado, however, there's nothing new here.